This invention relates generally to a refuse feeder or charging system for a solid waste destruction system, and more particularly to a refuse feeder which is capable of uniformly charging solid waste material into the furnace portion of the destruction system. In addition, the refuse feeder of the present invention provides a charging system which is sealed from the outside atmosphere so that minimum outside air is entrained during the charging process.
The disposing of waste materials is a severe problem at the present time, due to the great variety and quantity of materials that must be disposed of, necessitating a highly flexible system which must be adapted in its operation to meet the most limitless compositional variety and quantity of waste material, while at the same time meeting all the existing and expected governmental policy requirements with respect to air and water pollution control.
Modern technology has generated a vast but anticipated quantity and variety of waste products and it is intended that the present invention will lend itself to means for disposing of this waste product in a rapid and efficient manner notwithstanding changes in composition of waste products which are bound to occur from time to time during the operation of the present invention. Due to the large volume of waste materials that must be handled, particularly in regions of high population density, substantially the only feasible manner of processing and disposing of waste materials is by combustion, landfill and open dumping. By far the most efficient and desirable of these methods is high temperature disposal if such can be carried out in a manner so that the products thereof are completely combusted.
For the disposing of waste materials by high temperature combustion, different types of apparatus have been developed in the prior art such as conventional grate-type incinerators and more modern shaft-type pyrolysis systems. Typically waste materials are fed or charged into the upper end of a vertical gasification chamber from which the materials move downwardly under the force of gravity as the combustible materials therebeneath are converted to gases, vapors, distillate, and molten slag. A preheated hot air blast together with the combustibles develops heat sufficient to produce a flame temperature which will melt glass, metals and the like so as to reduce the metals, glass etc. to a molten condition. Gaseous and vaporous byproducts may be withdrawn and mixed with additional air and completely burned in a secondary combustion chamber, and then passed through a waste heat boiler for extraction of thermal energy and finally through a particulate separation system before venting to the outside atmosphere.
In the solid waste combustion furnaces and destruction systems resulting from newer technology, the amounts of excess air required in the furnace has been reduced so that it is necessary to provide a totally sealed system to prevent unknown volumes of air from being entrained within the furnace structure. In addition, as in all prior art combustion furnaces, it is critical and therefore highly desirable to include a means for uniformly feeding or charging solid waste into the combustion system.